When you're looking for a family film, the people who make Wallace and Gromit are hard to beat. Aardman is the studio behind Chicken Run, The Wrong Trousers and other animated antics - and it's even got you covered at Christmas.
Festive film Arthur Christmas tells the story of Santa's youngest son attempting to deliver a forgotten present. Directed by Sarah Smith, Arthur Christmas stars James McAvoy as the adorable klutz of the title.
He's chased around the globe by generations of Santas vying to take charge of the red suit, including Bill Nighy as a crotchety former holder of the title, Jim Broadbent as the current incumbent, and Hugh Laurie as a pompous son looking to bring the whole operation into the new century. In other words, it's a lot like Succession, only with more reindeer.
Although best known for its plasticine characters and stop-motion adventures, Aardman also dabbles in computer animation. In 2011, Arthur Christmas was its second computer-animated feature film (after 2006's Flushed Away).
The colourful animation allows for a fast-paced, globe-trotting adventure full of wacky adventures and hair-raising scrapes. There's a lot of fun detail to be spotted in the background of Santa's sprawling command centre, or among the rooftops and bedrooms as squads of elves descend on sleeping towns.
Smith wrings tons of comedy from the clash of styles between the old school way of Santa-ing (reindeer, magic sleigh) and the high-tech modern upgrades of the new generation (a giant spaceship, various elf-tastic gadgets).
The true magic of the film comes from Arthur himself, as he refuses to give up on his quest to make sure no child is left behind. He might not be a very good Santa, but he really loves Christmas. Arthur is determined not to lose sight of the spirit of the season, teaching his tech-obsessed brother a thing or two in the process.
With an energetic voice cast, a heart-warming story and plenty of madcap action, Arthur Christmas is a great addition to the festive viewing schedule.
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